Before the sky looks down
by crazigrl
Summary: It is for a challenge thing. /topic/162735/123818199/1/Phobia-Challenge is where I got it and everything. Go check it out. / Gumball was always afraid of looking up. Ashamed, he hid it. Maybe he doesn't need to. One-shot.


I never usually try to look up. It's terrifying when I do. When I say look up I do not mean to look up at a person's face or anything like that. I am pretty tall so there is not much 'looking up'. No, when I say looking up I mean way up. Like at the sky or simply when Marshall looms over me; floating. Sure it's extremely stupid fear, I will admit it. I just can't help but feel afraid. I simply cling to the nearest person and my eyes are glued to the ground after till I calm down.

I first learned of this terrifying fact as a child. I was being watched by my one and only nanny. My parents had already died so I looked towards the stars to speak to them. I lay on the cozy plush grass with pink hair obsuring the brilliant colour. I talked for hours woth a racing heart and when finished I could not get up. Clinging to the grass with wide eyes I shouted my lungs out for my nurse. She came and had to calm me.

When calm I explained with sobs racking my tiny form. She understood and never took me outside to look at the sky again. It was sad after that. I could no longer speak to my dead parents. It was not suppose to be so cruel, although turned out to be such a thing. I never spoke to another soul about such a shaming fear. For sake of my kingdom it would never be uttered by my gum lips.

I learnt over the years to not look up, whilst never looking down. I looked forwards, keeping my vision upon eye level for me. I would only look down to speak to a shorter person. That was all. Although, when I first met Marshall I could not meet his gaze. His ruby eyes were in the stars and it scared me. Not for what he was, for where he chose to stay.

Up. It scared me horribly. So horribly that I even told him to get down on the ground. He said, "You shouldn't be so stuck up. Even though you are a prince I am a King therefore I don't need to listen to you." It seems that's when he started to hate me. I don't blame him; after that he just never seemed to try to get close to the ground and I could never meet his eyes. Fionna mistook this as me having feelings for the other. It was far from that, I dare not tell her my secret. She could never keep it.

Most of these events were around my teen years. Still I cannot look up. One day I finally approached someone about this. It was the one person many may not even think. I went to Cake. I wiggled her away from Fionna and explained to her the problem. She only asked me one thing.

"Why are you afraid?" She asked as she sat on my knee. I sat on the roof and little did I know someone else was also listening.

"It just...I feel like if I look up the real world will crash, crumble, and break. That I could be ripped from the ground; never come back and just fly into space." That is the only way I could explain it. Cake luckily understood.

"Is it because your parents died that your scared that it may happen. You don't want to abandon your kingdom do you?" I was silent. I suppose she was correct, after all, I am all they have. Which would mean if I left and did not come back they they would not know what to do and my Candy Kingdom would crumble like crumb cake.

Thank you, Cake." She simply patted my head before returning to Fionna. Leaving me withmy fear and silent stalker. Marshall appeared in front of my face way to close for comfort.

"Is all that really true Bubba?" He asked simply. I nodded as I stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that."

I claimed that it was fine and for once in my life Marshall hugged me. I calmed down and closed my eyes as he took me to the ground. "Bubba, let me make it up to you. I never meant to scare you ever."

"Can I experiment on you?"

"Fine..." he sighed deeply before leading me to my castle. I suppose I shall make an announcement to tell everyone. I should not hide this from my people for they would never lie to me.


End file.
